The naturalisations of the American-born star of the Ocean’s series of heist movies, his wife and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, and their twins Ella and Alexander were announced last weekend in the Journal Officiel, where French government decrees are published.
Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a junior minister at the Interior Ministry, expressed misgivings on Wednesday that some of the Clooneys’ new French compatriots may think the star couple was granted special treatment.
The actor speaks only what he himself says is “horrible, horrible” French.
“The message being sent is not good,” Vedrenne said in an interview with broadcaster France Info.
“There is an issue of fairness that, in my eyes, is absolutely essential.”
The couple purchased an estate in France in 2021 and Clooney has said that it’s their primary residence.
Non-French residents of France have multiple possible routes to becoming naturalised.
It wasn’t clear whether the 64-year-old actor retained his American citizenship. His 47-year-old wife was born in Lebanon and raised in the UK, and naturalised by France under her maiden name, Amal Alamuddin. The eight-year-old twins were born in London.
The Foreign Ministry said the Clooneys were eligible for citizenship under a French law that allows for the naturalisation of foreign nationals who contribute to France’s international influence and economic well-being.
It argued that France’s cinema industry will benefit from the actor’s clout as a global movie star and said that, as a lawyer, Amal Clooney regularly works with academic institutions and international organizations in France.
“They maintain strong personal, professional and family ties with our country,” the ministry said.
“Like many French citizens, we are delighted to welcome Georges and Amal Clooney into the national community,” it concluded, giving the actor’s first name a French twist by adding the “s” at the end.
The decision was also defended by Vedrenne’s superior at the Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, who said he signed the naturalisation decree.
“It’s a big chance for our country,” he said.
In recent media interviews when he was promoting Jay Kelly, Clooney said that he is trying to teach himself French using a language-learning app. He said his wife and children speak the language perfectly.
“They speak French in front of me so that they can say terrible things about me to my face and I don’t know,” he joked, speaking to French broadcaster Canal+.
French media have reported the Clooneys live part-time in their luxury 18th-century villa outside the town of Brignoles in southern France, where they can keep a lower profile and their children are protected from unauthorised photographs by French privacy laws.
In an interview with Esquire in October, Clooney said: “I was worried about raising our kids in LA, in the culture of Hollywood.
“I don’t want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don’t want them being compared to somebody else’s famous kids,” he said.
Growing up away from the spotlight in France, “they have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life.”
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